Bob Kravitz: National TV audience should finally get to see Colts' Andrew Luck in all his glory

Oct. 10, 2013

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck scrambles to avoid safety Earl Thomas in the second half of the game. The Colts beat Seattle 34-28 in Sunday's game at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 6, 2013. / Matt Detrich / The Star

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Now the country gets to see what we’ve seen the past 21 games. Now comes “Monday Night Football” against the San Diego Chargers, then the game you might have heard about, a Sunday nighter against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck gets his grand unveiling before a national audience. (We’re not counting the Thursday nighter on NFL Network last year.)

Here is what they will see, besides a young man who has become the ultimate winner in this league, leading the Colts to victories in 15 of his first 21 regular-season games: They will see a player who has distanced himself from his rookie quarterback class, who has moved to the top of the list when compared to Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson, Ryan Tannehill and third-year player Colin Kaepernick.

If there was any question about who was the best of all the young guns last year — RGIII won Rookie of the Year — there’s no question now. Unless you’re ESPN’s Skip Bayless, who still thinks Tim Tebow is heaven’s gift to quarterbacking.

“There is no young quarterback better than Andrew Luck,” ESPN analyst Cris Carter said this week on “Mike and Mike.”

The QBR statistic, which is the best gauge of quarterback quality, finds Luck fourth in the league. Kaepernick is 11th. Wilson is 13th and Griffin III is 30th.

Luck has gone from a 54.1 percent completion rate last year to 62.2 percent this year.

He has thrown just two interceptions after throwing 18 last year.

He is third among quarterbacks this season in yards per carry (behind Michael Vick and Philip Rivers), rushing efficiently and rushing on third down for first downs.

And he’s money when he’s passing on third down, according to every conceivable metric conceived by the nerds at ESPN Stats & Info.

Which quarterback would you choose to build a new franchise around? The answer, unquestionably, is Luck.

“I just think things have really slowed down for Andrew,” Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. “He’s the same guy from a preparation standpoint. He’ll be the first one to tell you that he’s not surprised by a lot of things like most rookies are surprised by. I think the grind, the marathon that the season is, doesn’t bother him as much. All those things come into play. As far as the plays that he makes week in and week out, nothing surprises us anymore.”

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Granted, “Monday Night Football” isn’t quite what MNF used to be, not like it was back in the days when it was on free TV and Dandy Don and Howard and the Giffer were in the booth. But it still has some of its old cachet.

“ ‘Monday Night Football’ has a ring to it, a feel to it,” Luck said. “I remember as a kid wanting to watch the second half and being told I had to go to bed. So I hope my mom lets my brother stay up and watch the second half.

“Certain games, we were allowed — if I got my sisters to join in on the group effort to convince my parents to let us stay up.”

When Luck was really young and living in Germany, he would occasionally see games on tape delay on the Armed Forces Network. But it wasn’t until the family moved to Houston when he was in middle school that he began to pay more attention to football and “Monday Night Football.”

“The game I remember most was (in 2003) when Brett Favre’s father died and he threw (four) touchdown passes,” Luck said. “I remember being incredibly impressed watching that.”

Of all the things Luck does well — are we sure he hasn’t been in the league for eight years? — here’s the thing that impresses me most: his pocket presence. This is still not close to the best pass-blocking offensive line in the league, but Luck has learned how to navigate the rush like an old pro. He slides. He climbs the pocket. He sidesteps. And when he has to, he runs, usually for first downs.

“Some have it and some don’t,” Pagano said. “I think he’s had it (pocket presence) since day one.’’

Said Luck: “It’s something you work on. (Quarterbacks coach) Clyde (Christensen) and (offensive coordinator) Pep (Hamilton) do a great job developing drills, very inventive, making me move around and avoid things while still keeping my eye downfield and going through my reads. And I’m sure there’s part of you that has it or doesn’t.

“When you’re dropping back and seeing the rush, it’s a bad thing. It means you’re thinking about them instead of thinking about the routes and where the ball’s going. It means you’ve been hit a couple of times early in the game. You feel it more than anything.”

Monday, the nation will see a young quarterback who has designs on greatness. Just 21 games into his career, he is doing things that make you shake your head — like his Elway-esque spin away from a pass rusher and his dart to T.Y. Hilton on the sideline against Seattle.

“The good Lord gave him something he didn’t give to you or I,” Pagano said, referring to that particular play.